This invention relates to a method and a multi stage air-buoyant vehicle system (ABVS) for launching a surveillance platform that ascends into the upper air stratosphere region (above about 7 miles).
Stratospheric altitude platforms from which surveillance and sensor equipment of various types are supported for fulfilling missions such as upper air data acquisition, weather surveillance, outer space data acquisition, communication links, ballistic missile detection and tracking and defense system device actuation, etc. have long been in demand. Air breathing engine aircraft are altitude limited, rocket powered aircraft have limited endurance and satellites are expensive to launch and replace. Light weight balloon envelopes filled with a lighter-than-air gas, such as hydrogen or helium, are capable of ascending to stratospheric heights carrying moderate size payloads. In particular large volume, free balloons of very thin plastic material are relatively inexpensive, their launch time and positions are controllable, are capable of lifting equipment to stratospheric altitudes and have been successfully used at times for high altitude missions. However, high altitude balloons of light plastic fabric are extremely difficult to launch and have a poor record of successful ground launch operations due to their extreme sensitivity to even slight wind conditions. This is due to their very large size, the very light weight of the thin plastic of the envelopes at the top of which the small captive helium bubble is contained at the ground level launching site. The enormous side area of the "loose" envelope presents a large sail area that is easily affected by the lightest of wind gusts, particularly when the gusts come from different directions that is common in calm wind conditions, leading to tearing the thin plastic material so as to completely destroy the envelope at launch.